The Meeting
by damoon
Summary: Shinji and Asuka in Paris... And a little visit from Mana too.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: As always, Neon Genesis Evangelion and its characters do not belong to me but to Gainax. So I don't need anyone suing me or anything because I'm your average broke college student who should be studying for finals right now but seems to find herself writing this thing instead.  
Hope you like it somewhat or hate it but at least tell me what you think...  
*The Meeting* also has Mana in it from the "Iron Maiden" game just in case you're wondering.  
And of course, 3rd impact did not happen... So let's just leave it at that  
  
*The Meeting*  
  
I promised myself a long time ago that I was never going to cry. Yet at times, I find  
myself doing it. Maybe I am weak after all... especially after that 16th Angel. I felt so  
useless, ashamed, unwanted and dirty. I wanted to die. No one needed me anymore. No  
one cared. I wanted to die and be with my mother. I would probably have been happier.  
No one need me. No one.... Kaji-san had Misato... That doll had baka Shinji... But me? I  
had no one. I was alone. I was always alone....  
  
But of course, NERV found me and yet again, I found myself in that giant robot still  
useless. Why didn't they just let me die in that tub? ...  
  
I felt like that for a very long time. And for days and months my hatred for myself and for  
everyone was never ending. Even when Shinji defeated the EVA series ending all of the  
fighting for awhile... I still wanted to die.  
  
They made me stay as an EVA pilot, for the one who replaced me died. That's all they  
told me. He just died. I think I met him once when we were practicing for a recital. He  
played the violin like I did. But everything is just a blur now so I don't really remember.  
  
I don't even know why I'm thinking about all this right now. I guess I'm feeling all the  
insecurities that I had felt back then, returning to me. I want all of those memories to just  
go away. But always, at times like these they find a way to resurface.   
  
I wanted him to be there. I wanted to see his face and start over from the beginning. I  
wanted everything to start out right. But he wasn't there when I got there. It was  
supposed to be the cafe by the Seine and he wasn't there. Did he change his mind?  
Maybe I was too early. I looked around to see if he was coming but there was no sign of  
him. I was afraid that he wouldn't show... I wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't though.  
After everything that happened in the past...   
  
I sat down on one of the outside chairs and just waited. It felt so lonely just waiting  
there. I wanted him to be there with me. I wanted to just feel his warmth but still he wasn't  
anywhere. I looked around again. It was the first time that I had actually looked at  
everything around me and I got to admit it was very beautiful. I missed that place. It was  
very different from Japan's always summer days. Here it was constantly autumn. Weird  
how 2nd impact does that to the environment. I wonder what it place would have looked  
like if 3rd impact had actually happened that day, 2 years ago.   
  
There were tree lined streets full of leaves with different colors, there were leaves  
everywhere. There was just so much beauty. I wouldn't mind living there for awhile. I  
loved the old buildings , the churches... It's amazing how they could still stand strong after  
centuries of war and destruction.  
  
When Misato first told Shinji and I about taking a vacation to Paris, I was reluctant. If I  
had to go on vacation, I would rather be by myself. Spending your vacation with a woman  
who dresses and acts a lot younger than her age while off duty and still gets drinks beer  
like a man is not a very good idea. Plus that Baka had to come along too. Of course I gave  
in though. I would go anywhere than stay in Tokyo-3 and be bored out of my mind.  
  
Shinji was quite happy about it. "I can't wait Misato-san. I heard that it's continually  
autumn there after 2nd impact. That would be interesting to see."  
  
"Yeah it would." Misato said with a wink and a big gulp of her beer. "Besides that,  
there's shopping, the Eiffel Tower, French food and all the wine you could possibly  
imagine."  
  
"French food disgusts me," I said. "But it's better than eating instant ramen."  
  
"You always, always have something negative to say don't you? No matter what it is." Shinji  
said looking at me.  
  
Humph... How dare he say that to me. Ever since his father died he has been this way. It  
surprised me the first time. He could always talk back to me before then but now he got  
more confident and sarcastic. It's funny actually. But when he does it to me, I get  
pissed, I, Soryu Asuka Langley will not get beaten from such comments.  
  
"Oh shut-up, Baka!" I yelled at him and headed to my room. I was mad at myself. I can't  
believe I had nothing to say back to him. I couldn't believe I was actually at a loss for words  
on him. HIM! Of all people.  
  
I'm glad though, that the baka had changed. Though he still annoyed the hell out of me. He's  
more confident now, he laughed a lot more, and talked a lot more. It was strange. He became  
like a new person almost. And all it took for him to be this way was for Gendo to die.  
  
I don't really feel anything for Gendo. I'm actually glad that he's gone. Does that sound  
harsh? I don't care. He was a user. He used everyone and he didn't care. I felt bad for what  
he did to Ritsuko and Wonder.... I mean Rei and to the baka himself.  
  
I don't really know the specifics of how Gendo died. If that's what you want to know. Maybe  
Shinji knows but I would never dare ask him. For all I know, he'll probably go back inside his  
little shell and become what he used to be before and I don't want that. All I know is that they  
had found Gendo lying still on the floor of Central Dogma clutching a picture of Yui holding Shinji  
in her arms. Rei was the first to find him. That's all I know.  
  
"He lied about the picture..." Shinji said under his breath, walking ahead of me to the cemetery  
for his father's burial. Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki and I were the only ones that came other than  
Shinji. Honestly, I don't even know why I came that day or what came over me when I followed him...  
I just felt I needed to.  
  
"Why are you following me, Asuka?" He asked quietly. He stopped walking but he didn't turn around to look  
at me. "I don't need you to be here. I know Misato told you to come and follow me. I can handle this."  
  
"Baka, I'm not going because of you! Misato never told me to come. I came so I can actually see that  
man buried so I know he's really gone for good." I regret saying that. But it was partially true.  
I watched him sigh as he continued to walk silently.  
  
I stood there beside him for a long time in that cemetery. Something inside me wanted to comfort him  
But I didn't. I think I was afraid. He stood there, clutching the picture of him and his mother  
He stared at the men dropping the dirt on his father's coffin. I could tell from his face he still  
had a lot of hate for Gendo though, I can also tell he still loved his father too. Even after everything.  
I wanted to comfort him but I couldn't. It just wasn't my nature back then. I couldn't. Watching  
him like that almost made me cry... Did I just say that? I stated before that I don't cry. Never.  
Yet, I had to look away when he turned to look at me. Something was caught in my eye.  
  
He was quiet again on our way home. I wanted to break the silence. I hated silence. But I couldn't  
seem to find the words...  
  
"T-thank you Asuka..." He said in that quiet voice again. He turned to look at me.  
  
"For what?" I asked.  
  
"For being with me today. I know you were there to see my father... b-but it was nice that you  
were n-near. If you weren't there, I'd probably go mad or do something crazy and you'd call me an  
idiot." He smiled a little. "It's hard though. I want to cry because I love him. I want to cry  
because he's gone and he can't hurt anyone anymore. I want to cry because of what he did to  
everyone. Especially to Ayanami...Especially to my mother.... But I can't seem to cry..." Shinji  
shook his head and want back to walking ahead of me. "Sorry for telling you all that. I'm pretty sure  
you don't care for my baka problems."  
  
"Ikari!" I said, catching up with him. I grabbed his arm so he could stop walking. "No matter what those  
two Stooges say about me, I am not that much of a devil. I-I understand..." I was about to say more...  
I don't know what it was now but Shinji had stopped me.  
  
"OK" He said simply, giving another of those small smiles. He fell silent again as we headed back  
to Misato's apartment.  
  
I think it was that night that I realized it fully. It was that night that he changed. I could tell,  
from the way he was acting that a big weight had been lifted off his shoulders (if I could be cliché  
about it). Though he still looked mournful, he looked relieved, relaxed... It was probably even before  
that, that I realized it. But I couldn't let myself admit it because I was afraid of what might happen.  
But I knew it then. He was the only one. The only one.  
  
I just had too many things going on in my head. Kaji-san, Misato, Kaji-san, Rei, my mother, EVA, my hatred  
my loneliness, my everything... I was the best. And it hurt to see someone better. I hated him because  
he was better. And her too. She was everything that I did not want to be... Kaji-san loving Misato. Knowing  
that I couldn't even compare.... It sucked. I pushed everyone away but yet I wanted them. I especially  
pushed him away. He was a wimp. A coward. He always ran away instead of facing his problems. I hated  
him for that but I realized that he was no different from me. For I was running away too. We just did  
it differently.   
  
I sat there at the cafe thinking all this. If only I could turn back time. Things could have been   
different and it wouldn't be like this and I wouldn't feel this way. Paris was so beautiful. I closed  
my eyes feeling the wind touch my face, my skin, blowing my hair. It felt great yet lonely...  
  
Continued on Chapter 2 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: As always, Neon Genesis Evangelion and its characters do not belong to me but to Gainax. So I don't need anyone suing me or anything because I'm your average broke college student who should be studying for finals right now but seems to find herself writing this thing instead.  
Hope you like it somewhat or hate it but at least tell me what you think...  
*The Meeting* also has Mana in it from the "Iron Maiden" game just in case you're wondering.  
And of course, 3rd impact did not happen... So let's just leave it at that. So finally, you've read Asuka's  
memories of what happened before so here's the rest of the story.  
  
*The Meeting*  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Just as I expected. It's beautiful Misato-san So this is how autumn looks like." Shinji observed from  
the window of the Paris airport.   
  
"It still looks the same from when I was here three years ago," I added. "But then again I didn't  
expect it to change much."  
  
Misato smiled at me. "That's good then. So that means you can show us around this great little city."  
  
Of course I objected to this. I wanted to be alone and not be dragging them around. But I really had no choice.  
they both looked so eager. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." I said, annoyed.  
  
"Lucky!" Misato exclaimed, stepping away from the window. "So, what do you say we all go to our hotel  
now? I'm absolutely exasperated. Traveling is just not my thing."  
  
Although I feel that Shinji and I changed from two years ago, Misato is and will probably always stay the same.  
She always has surprises up her sleeve that either make me go nuts or pissed. And to no surprise, after  
we arrived at the hotel, she had another surprise to tell us.  
  
"You WHAT!?!" Shinji and I screamed in shock.  
  
"I was supposed to reserve three rooms but they gave me two instead. I guess it got mixed up in the  
communication. So, you and Shinji-kun can share this room," she said pointing to the door that  
that she was standing next to. "And mine is the one just two doors down."  
  
"What!" We both screamed again.  
  
"You must be kidding Misato-san! She and I can't share a room. Do you know how she is? Do you know how  
old we are? Are you crazy? What about privacy?" Shinji yelled at her.  
  
"I am NOT sharing a room with that BAKA! I thought this was going to be a vacation! Not some kind of nightmare!"  
I was totally pissed and angry.  
  
Misato however, did not even flinch. She instead gave us one of her trademark smiles. "You two have been  
living together for two years and NOTHING happened. And I know knowing you two... especially you, Asuka,  
you will not let anything happen. So go inside. I need to rest. Just live with it. It's only for two  
weeks." She handed Shinji the key card and went to her room quickly.  
  
"Misato-san!" Shinji yelled again. Yelling at Misato was already useless. She disappeared in her room  
and left us still standing there. Shinji dropped his luggage and sighed. "Why? Why do I ALWAYS end up  
in these kind of situations with you?" He dropped his head in his hands.  
  
"What did you just say?" I asked, crossing my arms. "You should be fortunate that you're stuck with me!  
I on the other hand, should be ashamed of this!  
  
"Don't think so highly of yourself, Asuka. I'll rather be roommates with anyone on this earth, rather than  
be stuck with you."  
  
"How dare you talk to me that way, BAKA!" I kicked the door of our room as hard as I could. "I can't  
believe Misato made me get stuck with a total IDIOT!"  
  
Shinji was about to say something but Misato's door opened up. "Will you two just shut up and get over it?  
There's nothing for you to do and for me either. All the rooms are filled up and so you're stuck. So  
just go inside and stop embarrassing yourselves." She smiled and waved. "Ja ne...." We watched as her door  
close again.  
  
After just sitting there for a couple of minutes, we finally went inside. I still couldn't believe she  
did this to us. What exactly was she thinking?   
  
"Well I guess we have no choice." Shinji said dropping his bags besides the bed that was closest to the porch. "I'll take  
this one." He stood up and opened the sliding door of the porch and walked out.  
  
I put my bags on my bed and after contemplating for a minute or two, I followed him out. We watched the activities  
from below silently. Paris was a total different world compared to Tokyo 3. Not only because of the weather  
but everything else. The people, the sky, the trees... It was just different.  
  
"Well, despite our horrible situation we got stuck into, we might as well deal with it like Misato-san  
said. It's only two weeks."  
  
I crossed my arms. "I'll only deal with it if I know for sure you're not going to peek at me or try  
to kiss me again or do any other hentai activities that you do."  
  
"Trust me, I would never do anything knowing what you might do to me if I did. That stuff didn't even cross  
my mind. You're the one always mentioning it. Maybe you're the one thinking about it."  
  
"Baka. I'm not like you. Pervert."  
  
"Sure, sure, Asuka. Whatever you say" He went back inside and unpacked. And after another all too  
familiar moment of silence, he spoke again. "So what is there to see?"  
  
"A lot," I said, lying back on my bed.   
  
"You wouldn't mind showing me around would you? I mean, if you don't want to, that's all right too."  
  
"Baka. Then what are you going to do? Get lost like an idiot in the streets of Paris? I'll show you around.  
You should just promise me one thing though..."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Stay at least 2 meters away from me. I don't want potential men to think that I'm with you."  
  
Shinji gave a small smile. "Sure, sure. Of course. At least 2 meters away. I'm used to that rule." He took  
more clothes out of his suitcase and walked to the bathroom. "Arigato. I'll change and get ready."  
  
I don't know why, but what he said hurt me. I was just kidding him. Did he really think the worst of me?  
Baka, can't you see?  
  
"Asuka... Asuka, hey it's your turn."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Don't you wanna change or something before we go?" He asked, shaking my shoulder. "You're lost in deep  
thought. Care to share?"  
  
I turned to him. "Why would I share my thoughts with you?" I grabbed my clothes and went to the bathroom  
to change quickly. Why did I always find the need to be so angry? I just couldn't help it. I didn't want  
him to see just yet. He knows me like no one else does and if for a second, he could see it in my face, I  
would not be able to handle it. He can't know.. just not yet.  
  
And so, as I showed him around the Seine, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the L'arch de  
Triomphe... he kept his promise. For three days straight, he always stayed at least 2 meters away from me  
and more so because he was usually taking pictures of everything that awed him. I was mildly pissed at this.  
I don't have much patience for anything and he was just too slow for my pace. So I yelled at him for being  
slow and he yelled at me and insults and sarcastic comments came in every which way. But after five minutes  
of it all we stopped arguing. Just all of a sudden. Not because we wanted to... Because someone was calling  
for Shinji.  
  
"Shinji-kun! Shinji-kun!"  
  
That voice. It was a voice I knew from way back. I looked at the figure running towards Shinji. Her tanned  
arm waving in the air. That hair, that smile... She had on a flowing white dress, similar to the one she wore  
that one day. "No... it can't be..." I said under my breath.  
  
"Shinji!" She said, hugging him with a bright smile on her face. "I finally found you! I missed you!"  
  
Shinji was stunned at first. Like he couldn't believe it was really her. "Ma...ma... Mana.." He finally  
said, putting a hand on her face. His sudden shock turned into one big smile. "I... I can't believe it."  
  
"You.. changed... I can't believe I finally saw you. I told you I would come back..." Mana hugged him again.  
  
"And I told you I would wait." Shinji said softly. "But... but how did you know I was here?"  
  
"Aida-kun. He told me. He saw me when I was waiting for you outside the high school. He told me you were  
here with Katsuragi-san and Asuka-san. And so I'm here..." Mana smiled at me. I looked away.  
  
"You, you look great, Mana..." Shinji said.  
  
Mana blushed. "Arigato," she said. "The same to you, Shinji. You're even cuter now than when we last saw each other."  
Mana knew him too well. Those kinds of compliments always made him blush and Shinji blushed red hot.  
  
"A..arigato..." He said, running his hands through his hair nervously.  
  
Mana encircled her arms through his. "So..." She said looking up at him. Shinji was still blushing like  
an idiot. I crossed my arms and turned away. Why was she here? This could not happen. Not now. Not when  
I was actually ready to say something. "So, where were you guys going?"  
  
I was about to say something. Something unwelcoming... Why did she have to be here?  
  
"No where really," Shinji answered quickly "We were just having our usual spat."  
  
Mana looked at me with a smile. "You two never change, huh? How are you Asuka?" She asked in that sweet  
voice of hers. It made me sick. She almost sounded like Rei, if Rei didn't talk in a monotone.  
  
"Fine. I'm fine." I said quickly, feeling sick inside. She was still clinging to Shinji.  
  
Shinji looked at me with a raised eyebrow but I looked away quickly. Baka.  
  
"Shinji, Asuka-san, what do you say we go to a nice cafe and talk? There's a great one by the Seine."  
  
"I hate coffee." I stated flatly.  
  
Shinji looked at me again. "You do Asuka? You never complained when I make you cof..."  
  
"Shut-up Baka." I sighed, taking a few steps back from them. "Since you're already with someone that knows  
this great place, I'll leave now. I wouldn't want to be the third wheel."  
  
"But you're not" They both said looking confused.  
  
I couldn't face them anymore. I couldn't look at him. I really had to get out of there. If I didn't...  
I would have... I don't know. Something had caught my eye again. Stupid wind. I wiped it away quickly. I don't cry.  
  
Why after all this time, did she decide to come back? And now. Why are you making me feel this way, Shinji?  
You idiot.  
  
Shinji doesn't know, but I heard her say she loved him that she day she left. I almost laughed. How can  
anyone love someone that apologized all the time and stupid? That admitted he was a coward? I couldn't stand it.  
He told her that he would wait for when she came back.... That's all I heard before I left them. I didn't  
want to hear them anymore.  
  
I was rude to her. I know. She seemed so happy to see him, to see me even. But I couldn't help it.   
  
She changed a bit, like we had. For some reason, she reminded me of a younger version of Shinji's mother.  
Only her eyes were blue and her brown hair was slightly longer now. Mana always, always smiled and she was and  
is always very affectionate. And yes, she is beautiful and nice. You can't blame the Baka for liking her.   
But she's wrong for him... He deserves no one. Except for... except for...  
  
"Where's Shinji-kun?" Misato asked me, as I made my way to our hotel room. "Asuka, did you leave him somewhere?  
Where's Shinji-kun?"  
  
"I don't know and I don't care where that baka is. He's probably making out with that bitch by now!" I slammed  
the door as hard as I could, which was basically useless considering the door opened and closed automatically  
when you slid the card key though the slot.  
  
"Bitch?" I heard Misato say after me. "Asuka, who are you tal..." I was glad the door closed.  
  
Stupid. Idiot Shinji. Why her? Why, why was he making me feel this way? Damn it, Shinji. The feeling sucked.  
I hated it. And it lasted like that night after night as I watched him leave to go out with her. And every  
night, we would fight for no reason but to just fight. I couldn't stand it. How dare he should be happy! I was so  
annoyed and so angry.  
  
He was always coming to the hotel late. Misato was so happy he got back with his 'girlfriend' again. I   
couldn't stand it. Baka, Baka, Baka... Without him there, I spent most of my time with crazy Misato. I couldn't  
say I hated hanging out with her. She was fun. But all I thought about was HIM. Everytime we got back to   
the hotel, my blood starts to boil. Why her, Shinji?  
  
I slipped the room key through the slot and went inside the room. I kicked the garbage can by the dresser  
out of frustration. "Stupid Idiot!" I screamed. I was ready to jump on my bed so I could punch out the pillows, but  
to my surprise, he was there, sitting on his bed. His back to me. He wearing a dark suit.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked sarcastically. "Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend?"  
  
"Not now, Asuka," he said sternly.  
  
What the hell? "What the hell's the matter with you?"  
  
"Why should you care?" He asked bitterly.  
  
"I don't!" I screamed. "I don't care!"  
  
"Exactly..." He stood up and headed for the door. "I'll be leaving now. Ja ne..."  
  
"Wait a second! Where the hell are you going? You're going to see her again?" I stood up so he could face me.  
  
But he didn't turn around.  
  
"Again, why do you care?" He sighed, his voice nothing more than a whisper. I could barely hear him.  
  
"Again, I don't care. I just want to know."  
  
"Why do you want to know?"  
  
Shinji, why can't you turn around damn it. Just look at me. Why can't you see? "Because I just do. Do you  
have feelings for her? Do you love her?" I don't know what came over me that night. I just wanted to know.  
I wanted to get everything out of my system. I wanted to tell him before it was too late.   
  
He turned around. His dark blue eyes were looking right at me. He was so handsome that night. I've never  
seen him in a suit before. But everything about him looked so melancholy. "I have feelings for her... I   
did love her." His spoke slowly, sadly... "She told me she loved me earlier tonight..."  
  
"And what did you say?" I asked, almost loosing my own voice. I did not want to hear his answer. I couldn't bear it.  
  
"I... I told her, I loved her too..."  
  
I reached up to touch my face. It was wet. Was I crying? No. I can't cry. Not in front of him.  
  
"Asuka? What's wrong?" He asked, walking closer to me.   
  
"Shut-up! Don't come any closer! Just go. I don't want to hear it!"  
  
I watched him sigh. I watched him turn around and slid his key card through the slot. I watched him walk  
out the door. "But she told me I was wrong. That she knew that I loved someone else..." I watched the door  
close behind him.  
  
I was crying. No. It can't be. I couldn't believe this was happening. No... "Shinji, you baka."  
  
I ran after him. He was almost to the elevator when I caught his arm. "Baka, you don't leave things just like  
that. You don't say that and just go." I was crying freely. I couldn't believe it. But... but I just didn't   
care.  
  
"You.. you told me to go..."  
  
"Baka... Is it true? Is it true that you love someone else?"  
  
He put his hand on my face wiping my tears away. "Remember that day that I tried to cheer you up? When that  
Angel did that to you? I told you how I felt but you didn't believe me. I told you I wanted to help you. To   
understand you. To live with you forever. .. But you denied me. That was the worst feeling in the world." He put  
his hand back down on his side but his eyes did not leave mine. I could tell he was holding back his own  
emotions. "I tried so hard to block you out. You denied me. You hit me. You insult me... but it seems I can't  
ever get you out of my mind... Mana was the first person I ever said, "I love you" to. She's nice, pretty,  
funny... but she wasn't the one I loved anymore. And she knew that. I don't love her because... because she's  
not you, Asuka... It'll always be you, even if I was denied."  
  
I could not help but cry again. That day felt like it was so long ago. That day he tried to actually talk to me.  
I thought he was just saying those words to me. I never knew he was serious. I didn't want to believe it.  
I hated everyone that day. Everyone. And I hated myself the most. And this whole time, he remembered that.  
While I had almost forgotten it.  
  
He tried to turn around and leave again but I made him stay. "Shinji, if what you say is real... Please tell  
me right now. Please say it. Please say it to me." I let go of his arm and stared at the dull gray carpet.  
We stood there in silence for what seemed like ten years.   
  
I felt his hand touch my cheek and wiped a few  
dried tears away. "I... I... love you, Asuka..." He said softly with a touch of nervousness.  
  
I sighed. It was the first time I've ever said those words said to me before and I've never felt so happy.  
For once I, the great Soryu Asuka Langley had completely forgotten my tough nature and cried. Can you believe  
it? I was happy. I put my head on his shoulder. I was ready to tell him. It finally felt right.  
"I... I love you too."  
  
During that whole night, we just talked. There were no arguments or sarcastic comments or insults. It was  
talking. I told him about my past and he told me his. He told me about his father, how he betrayed him,  
how he was too busy and too cold hearted. "I called him once to ask if he would come to school for a Parent's  
meeting... he told me that he was too busy for such nonsense..." He said, reminiscing about it. "It was just a simple thing  
but he didn't even care..."  
  
"Do you forgive him?" I asked.  
  
"It's hard..." He reached inside his pant pocket and retrieved that picture of him and his mother.  
"But I forgive him... Ayanami gave me this picture because she thought that I might want it. I didn't at first  
because it was his and he lied about it. But she told me to look in the back. I guess he knew deep in his heart  
that he was wrong. And I'm happy about that." He handed me the picture. "He said he was sorry and because of   
that, I forgive him. That was all I really wanted."... I turned the picture around. And there it was...  
Words that I thought Gendo would never ever say or write. "I'm Sorry, Shinji" it read. It was  
simple. But it said it all.  
  
There were so many other things that we talked about. Like what happened to Toji and to the one that   
replaced me. But Shinji didn't really want to talk about that much. We talked about Misato and Kaji-san  
About Ritsuko and about Rei. It was him that made me understand Rei... It's hard for me to even imagine what  
had been done to her. When we get back home, I'll try to make myself apologize to her for all the things  
that I had done to her.  
  
It felt so good to just be with him that night. I felt so comfortable. It felt so nice. We talked   
out on the porch forever. "Asuka, do you want to start over?" He asked.   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"To start over fresh. Just forget about the past for awhile and just pretend that we are meeting each  
other for the first time. But this time everything will be different." He looked at me and smiled.   
"What do you say?"  
  
"Ok..." I agreed.  
  
"We'll meet at that cafe by the Seine tomorrow OK? And if we ever change our minds about this or each other  
we don't have to show up.."  
  
"Shinji, don't say that. I know I won't change my mind. Once a Soryu's mind is made up, they don't change it  
I hope you won't either..."  
  
****  
  
And so I open my eyes and looked out into the Seine river and the streets of Paris full of fallen leaves.  
There was still no sign of him yet and my heart felt like it could just blow away like those leaves. "So,  
I guess he did changed his mind about this." I said to myself. But I don't blame him. I really don't.  
After all the things that I had done I don't blame him. I kept telling myself that over and over again.  
  
I stood up and walked away. He wasn't coming and it was OK. I put my coat on over the yellow dress I  
had worn and tried to hail for a taxi to take me to the Eiffel Tower. The taxis however were all occupied. And when an empty  
one was finally approaching me, I heard him.   
  
He tapped me on the shoulder. He was wearing an outfit that looked like our Jr. High high uniform and  
carried a yellow rose. "Excuse me, but I was supposed to meet the Second Children here today. I was  
told she had long red hair and it seems to me that you're the only one fitting that description here,  
could it be you?"  
  
The taxi that stopped beside me speed away when I turned to look at him. "Of course I'm the Second Children  
no one else here is deserving of that title except for me. Soryu Asuka Langley." I stuck out my hand so   
he could shake it. "Please to meet you. And I suppose you must be the late Third Children."  
  
He took my hand. "Sorry about that. All these French taxi drivers take advantage of you when   
they see that you're a foreigner... Ikari Shinji," he said. "Please to meet you too. This is for you."  
He handed me the rose.  
  
I smiled at him, "Arigato"  
  
He smiled back and he took my hand and held it tightly in his. "So, Second Child, where would you like  
to go in this wonderful city?"  
  
"Anywhere. Anywhere Third Child. Just as long as you're with me."  
  
Did I just say that? He held my hand tighter as we both laughed. Walking toward no where in particular  
and just observing all the beautiful things around us.... I was glad that he did not change his mind. And it felt nice that we were able to start all over again.  
We were going to start fresh and new. It was nice. So nice. He is the only one, like I had said.  
He was from the very beginning. And it will always just be him. And I am happy.  
  
It's the END... Well That's it for now. But I might add something later on. Thanks for reading. 


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